Weekend Picks

 Day #2 of my long weekend included some junking.  It began without even leaving my house.  My sweet friend arrived and received her happy pot of birthday flowers and brought me an unexpected windfall of vintage patterns.  Her sister is destashing her MIL's house and she was a seamstress.  Most of these patterns are factory folded and all are headed to my Etsy.  Lots of great 40s, 50s and 60s fashions.

She and I made a trip to the Salvation Army and VOA.  I was disappointed to discover the local SA has gone the way of GW with full-on retail prices.  The only thing I bought was the jewelry box.

 Based on the chatter from the other shoppers, we were not alone is our dismay at the prices.  The rest of these treasures are from two poke sacks purchased at the VOA.

 The VOA continues to deliver.  Long live the VOA!

Kathy's Day Off

 My #2 son and his wife offered to take me downtown today to visit the Portland Art Museum, something I have been wanting to do for AGES.  The weather turned out much nicer than predicted so it couldn't have been more perfect for roaming around in downtown Portland.  The pot of tuberous begonias above is a birthday gift I will be giving to a sweet friend tomorrow.  I put it at the top of this post because that contented look is just exactly how this day felt!

 This is the first time I really made an effort to use the camera in my big-girl phone.  I got the plaque in each photo, thinking I could enlarge and read the artist when I got home.  That part didn't work out so I'm not able to give credit where credit is due but will still share a few of the things that caught my eye.

 I was surprised they allowed pictures to be taken but it was okay as long as you didn't use flash.

 I recognized Ganesha the Hindu Elephant God from Cathy's travel blog "theXtraSuitcase" and was surprised to learn he rides around on a giant rat.

 A Wedding Ring quilt made from automobile license plates, among other things.

 I would totally wear the Native American woman's dress and cape on the left!  The one on the right is actually a man's and it is called a long shirt.

This is the part where you can point your finger at your monitor and laugh at me.  At some point the smart phone outsmarted me and I started taking videos instead of pictures.  No, I didn't tip over, I just turned the camera.  8+)  

When we finished at the art museum they very graciously offered to take me to The Button Emporium & Ribbonry, another destination on my bucket list.  Oh my.  I could spend half a day in there.  The buttons were all sold as singles and I prefer the "poke sacks" but they had an amazing assortment of trims and ribbons. I speed-shopped since I knew the kids were indulging me but I did manage to gather up this pretty little assortment of trims for my inspiration kits.  The proprietors are delightful!

We finished off our trip with a stop at the highly popular Tasty N Alder.  We actually stopped there, put our name on the waiting list and then went to the Button Emporium.  It was worth the wait with delish Bloody Marys and a very unique menu.  I was trying to take a picture of my Bloody Mary and ended up with the video above. They serve family style and bring out the dishes as they are prepared so we ordered several things and shared.  The blueberry french toast is A-MAZING and that is coming from someone who isn't very fond of fruit!
What a treat of a day!  Thank you Andy and Alissa!

A Good Day Junking

 Wednesday?  Really?  Sometimes I don't know where the time goes.  Well, most of the time....  Last Saturday turned out just the way I hoped.  A lovely time going out to breakfast and then a trip to the VOA.  Even though it was already after noon I found not one, not two, but THREE poke sacks of buttons.  A good day junking!

 There were plenty to add to my stash for Etsy plus MANY to add to my personal accumulation.  Shoe buttons, carved MOP and those bone buttons that I have such an unnatural fascination with and another one of those walnut buttons.

 Lots and lots of glass and chinas, more than I usually find in one button lot.  Did you spot the extra special ones yet?

 Some fun plastics.  I always save those, even when they are contemporary.  When there are sets of plastics I usually just keep one for myself and the rest go into the Esty basket.  I haven't listed any in a while and need to get busy on that and share the button love!

 I keep the cards that are "special" to my eyes.  Those two buttons in between the Pacific buttons are vegetable ivory and have shading around the edges that is kind of different. As always, you can click the pictures bigger for a closer look.

If you didn't spot these yet, they were the score of the day.  EIGHT china calico buttons.  It is unusual to find just one in a poke sack and I was thrilled to find eight of them in three different patterns.  Life is good!

Why We Junk and a Few New Buttons

 I made a couple of new altered book pages that I haven't posted yet so here we go.  I love the quote on the right.  It is by Mary Randolph Carter.  If you aren't familiar with her, she authored "American Junk", "Garden Junk", "Kitchen Junk" and a few others.  She validated the love of junk for me.  Her books are pure eye candy!

I also got a new lot of buttons this week.  Nothing to shout about but these are the favorites that will be added to my accumulation.
Going out to breakfast with #1 son and family to celebrate the DIL's birthday tomorrow morning.  I love going out for breakfast!  Rain in the forecast for the afternoon so junking may be in order... 8+)
Happy weekend to you!

A Blog Give-Away From Around The World!

I have blogged before about Cathy at ma vie trouvee.  She is a remarkable artist, a frequent contributor to the Stampington magazines and a world traveler who takes me along on her adventures via both her blogs. You can see even more photos from her travels on The X-tra Suitcase.  If you haven't visited her blogs you are missing out on a delightful time and a great blog friend!  I came home tonight to find a surprise package in the mail.  Warning, this is a long post because her generosity is remarkable!

 When we first "met" she was living in Belgium.  She has since moved to Singapore which is not at all the way I would have imagined if not for her.  These are all little bags and not something I would ever find here.  I adore the ones with the flowers!

 She gifted me a huge selection of Asian papers.  I love all the tiny treasures and bling!

 I don't know where it is coming from because there is no incense in the package but the fragrance in my art room in wonderful and I hope it stays forever!

 Click the pictures bigger so you can read her notes.  I should have spread out the papers in the clip because there are many, many sheets in beautiful designs.

 How sweet that she would be reading a magazine and think of me and it is in FRENCH for crying out loud! Beautiful pillows decorated with appliqued doilies.  It smells SO good in here.

 Candies.  I cannot wait to try the ones in the yellow wrappers.  Butter and salt, two of my favorite things!

 Sparkly buttons from Laos and how sweet is that little envelope of lace trims that says "My laces are kept in my favorite case"!  Did you notice the pink sewing measuring tape peeking out in the corner?  The measurements are in both inches and centimeters.  I don't know which is the standard in Singapore but I was surprised to learn from Cathy that their official language is English.

 Oh.My.Gosh.  I remember the blog post about her visit to Myanmar and this vintage glass button will have a very special place in my collection.

 This bracelet is made of paper beads made from magazines.  The proceeds benefit women and children in Cambodia.  More about that box in the upper right later.

 I cannot read the words, of course, so at first I thought this box might contain incense and explain the fragrance.  I opened it up and realized it is an herbal remedy for the "Heaty Tummy" she blogged about here.  When I read the post I commented that I would buy it just to get the little metal vials and here it is!

 The red paper is the most delightful little envelopes and check out that ornament on the right.  Beautiful!

 The butterfly is a souvenir from Cambodia and I love that paper dragonfly.

 The prettiest chopsticks (I have tried and have no talent!) for that!  I am still trying to figure out the little brocade bag.  It was commericaly packaged with the assortment of little trinkets and I'm thinking it might be a kit to make a talisman-type bag??  There is a paper inside the pink packet but I haven't opened it yet.

This is a box of white Geisha face powder.  I was apprehensive about opening it and, sure enough, some of the powder jumped out!  Check out Cathy's post here to read what ELSE this powder is used for.

Here is what the contents look like, just in case I want to get "the look".  All I need is some red lipstick.  Probably not but nice to know I could if I wanted to!  It has a flowery smell so that isn't where this remarkable fragrance is coming from.  Love it!

Cathy, thank you SO much.  Your friendship was plenty and this treat is over the top!

Estate Sale Sunday

 Yesterday I worked on The Farm for hours and got the weeds knocked down so it is ready for the barrier cloth, which The Husband started on today.  Oh.My.Gosh. I went through two jugs of Gatorade and it was SO hot.  I cannot believe this weather in May.  Thankfully it is raining tonight because we sure need it.  Today was a play day and I headed out to the second day of an estate sale to see what was left.  I was rewarded. Check out those old Alka Seltzer bottles with their perfectly Tiffany blue tops!

 LOVE that huge tin with the lattice and roses.  It was a holder for those embroidery paint pens that were popular in the '70s.  It has roses, enough said! Plus a new needle book that I didn't have.

 Pins ( call me crazy) but there are a few very cool hat pins mixed in.  The poke sacks included a few things I wasn't interested in but it was half-price day and sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs....

 Lady bugs and bumble bees, who could resist those??  The scoop says "Farmers Elevator Adams" on the handle.  The Hostess Embossing Set is missing the dip pen but I love the little bottles and they are full.

 They had stacks of old sheet music so I gleaned out the ones with neat graphics because that is the part I like.  Those little fairies dancing on the toadstool are too cute.

 Oops, there are those pins again the a jar for buttons and some random meal stuff that seemed like it would be fun to make something out of one of these days when I get around to some assemblage - lol!

I hope your Mother's Day was a happy one.  My younger son brought me a pretty hanging basket so I'll snap a picture when the rain stops.  The Farm is so close to done, can't wait!!

Vintage Cottage Home Buttons and Farm Fresh

 These are my favorites from the other button jars I bought at Vintage Cottage Home.  One of the jars contained a first-ever find that made me whoop when I spotted it.  Wait for it, are you ready....

 TaDa!  My first ever Bakelite Cookie.  Sooo  happy to find this.  I am a button hunter and this is the way I like to find them.  A tiny treasure just waiting for me to snatch it up and treasure it.

We have started calling our new garden area "The Farm" so I made a little sign for it.  Sorry this is so dark. It was starting to get, um, dark when I took it.  I took the sign out to The Farm and we were talking about where to put it and started discussing that the window frame needed repainting.  The sign just happened to fit perfectly so that is where it got parked for the moment.  The garden is thriving in the beautiful Spring weather so it won't be long until we can have some farm-fresh produce.  If the bugs don't eat them.

Sunday at Vintage Cottage Home

 Last Sunday I ventured out to the Vintage Cottage Home flea market in Vancouver.  My blog friend, Annette (Andy's Attic and My Pinecone Cottage), was participating so I was looking forward to visiting with her as well as the shopping.  The weather was beautiful, well sunny and warm at least.  The wind was really gusting and made things challenging for the vendors.  Some resorted to taking their tents down because, after all, the show must go on!  Annette and her buddy Sue (Birdsong) had a spot in a perfectly protected corner.

 I was quite pleased with myself for finding my way since navigation is NOT one of my talents.  Okay, it was only about 20 miles away but it was in a different state and I had to cross a river.  A myriad of things could have gone wrong but they didn't.  Easy peasy.  Where was I...  Oh!  Naturally I wanted to stop at Annette's booth first.  She told me she would have buttons so I started a quick walk-through trying to spot her or some buttons.  {cue harps and a sunbeam}  What should appear to my wandering eyes but a booth that had jars and jars of buttons!  My button-goggles snapped down and dear Annette was standing right in front of me, completely invisible.  You've been there.  Tell me you haven't.

 All of the treasures in these pictures were bought in Annette and Sue's booth.  They both have a great eye and oh.my.gosh. great prices.  I restrained myself and didn't buy all of the jars since I could clearly hear other shoppers commenting on them.  I will save that until I win the lottery and then I plan to buy all of the buttons on eBay.  Every.single.one.  But I will only do it one time and then I will be nice again.

 I got such fun treasures to use in my inspiration kits for Etsy!  Thank you girls!

 If you scroll back up to the top you will see a jar with this hang-tag on it.  Annette GIFTED me with that jar of buttons.  She knows me well and I was thrilled.

 Can you even believe this set of 4 Glow Bubbles??  They are some of the nicest I have and I never find them in sets.  Beautiful buttons and a real treasure.  There were several tight-tops, some wafers and I just love that metal button right below the Glow Bubbles.  It has a pattern that reminds me of a spider web.

 Glass buttons, a really pretty carved MOP and just look at that blue bow.  It washed up nicely.

If that wasn't enough, I have one more score to tell you about today.  I have been looking for a metal table to go with my tractor-seat chairs in the new garden.  Sue was offering up this little charmer that couldn't have been more perfect if I had designed it myself.  Clearly we don't have the barrier cloth and the bark finished yet and my two tractor-seat chairs are different colors but it is coming along.  Thank you Annette and Sue for such a fun day!
Next post I will show you a few of my favorite buttons from the other jars including a first ever button find!